Indirect dark matter search with the ANTARES neutrino telescope

TL;DR

This paper reports on a search for high-energy neutrinos from the Sun using ANTARES data, setting competitive limits on dark matter particle interactions, specifically WIMP-proton cross-sections, with results consistent with background expectations.

Contribution

First ANTARES search for solar neutrinos from dark matter annihilation, providing new upper limits on WIMP interactions that are competitive with other major neutrino telescopes.

Findings

No excess neutrinos observed from the Sun.

Set 90% upper limits on WIMP-proton cross-section.

Limits are more stringent than direct detection experiments.

Abstract

Using the data recorded by the ANTARES neutrino telescope during 2007 and 2008, a search for high energy neutrinos coming from the direction of the Sun has been performed. The neutrino selection criteria have been chosen so as to maximize the rejection of the atmospheric background with respect to possible signals produced by the self-annihilation of weakly interactive massive particles accumulated in the centre of the Sun. After data unblinding, the number of neutrinos observed was found to be compatible with background expectations. The results obtained were compared to the fluxes predicted by the Constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model, and 90% upper limits for this model were obtained. Our limits are competitive with those obtained by other neutrino telescopes such as IceCube and SuperKamiokande, which give ANTARES limits for the spin-dependent WIMP-proton cross-section that are more stringent than those obtained by direct search experiments.